


Love Delights

by afteriwake



Series: What Love Does [5]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-26
Updated: 2012-10-26
Packaged: 2017-11-17 01:41:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/546234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/pseuds/afteriwake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Laughter really is the best medicine, as Snow White and the Huntsman find out one day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love Delights

**Author's Note:**

> An answer to the **onceuponaland** bingo prompt "giggles." I had a lot of fun with this one. It went on a lot longer than I had planned, but I’m happy with it.

Laughter filled the room. It had been so long since she had laughed like this, so long since she had felt so light at heart. She still missed Charming, but the ache hurt less now, like a dull throb that sometimes woke her up at night. Today there was no ache at all, as Red had come to visit and they were talking about things that had happened. She had brought news, careful not to talk about her stepmother or Charming, and instead shared the funny news that was probably not meant to be laughed at but was still funny nonetheless.

“I can’t believe she married him anyway,” Snow said with a giggle as she took another bite of the pie she had baked. She and Red had each taken a tiny slice so that there would be enough left over for the dwarves and for Graham. He fit well into this household, Snow realized, and she knew if he left she would feel as though something vital was missing.

“Well, they seem to be happy,” Red said with a warm smile of her own. She took a bite of her own slice. “It’s good to see you happy, Snow. After everything, I had begun to worry.”

“I still miss him,” Snow said, her laughter tapering down. “I still think we could have had something very good. But you can only hold out hope he’ll change his mind for so long. I’ve accepted he doesn’t want me, and I’m moving on.”

“That’s good,” her friend replied with a nod. “What brought on the change?”

“I found a new friend in Graham,” she said. 

“The Huntsman, right?” Red asked, and Snow nodded. “He seems strange, but good at heart.”

“He is. But he’s kind, and gentle. And he’s a good listener. And we work well together.”

“I know. Granny was glad to get all that extra meat for the winter. Less hunting for her to have to do.” Red took another bite of her pie. “Is he going to stay here for the winter?”

Snow nodded. “After that I’m not sure. I’m hoping I can convince him to stay. He fits in well here.”

“Well, I think if you ask he will,” Red said. “I think he likes you a lot.”

“Really?” Snow asked, surprised.

“He let you give him a name. He could have refused to answer to it btu he seems to have embraced it. And he doesn’t seem the sort to give other humans a chance, but he spends an awful lot of time with you doing more than just hunting.” Red giggled slightly. “If I didn’t know better I’d think he fancies you a bit.”

“I doubt it,” she said, blushing slightly. “I think he simply sees me as a friend.”

“He’s been here, what, a month now? Once he got his freedom he could have gone anywhere, or at the very least gone back to his old life. But he’s chosen to stay by your side. I think that’s quite telling.” She smiled at Snow. “I really do think you should ask him to stay past the winter. I think he’ll do it.”

“If you really think so,” Snow said.

“I do.”

“Then I’ll ask tonight,” she replied.

Red finished off her pie. “I think I have just enough time to stay for a cup of tea. I have a few more stories that might make you laugh.”

“Do tell,” Snow said, a grin widening on her face.

\--

He heard them laughing before he approached the cottage. He went over to the window and looked in, seeing Snow giggling at something Red was saying. It brought a smile to his face, seeing her happy like this. A smile on her face looked much more natural than the frowns she had worn for so long. He went away from the window to the door and knocked to announce his presence. “I’m back,” he said as he came back in.

“How was the hunting?” Snow asked, turning to look at him, smile still on her face.

“Good. I think we’ll have enough meat to last us for the winter now,” he said. “I’m going to take the furs to the nearest town to trade them, the ones you said you didn’t want.”

“When are you going?” Red asked. “I can make sure I’m nearby here in case I’m needed.”

“Tomorrow,” he replied. 

“Could I come with you?” Snow asked.

He nodded. “All right.”

Red looked from Snow to Graham. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I think it’s best if I start heading home. Tonight is a full moon, and I know my grandmother feels better if I’m at home, safe and secure.” She stood up as Snow did, and gave the woman a hug. “I’ll see you later, Snow. Bye, Graham.”

“Bye,” Snow said with a smile as Graham nodded to Red. Red left, leaving the two of them alone in the cottage. She turned to Graham. “When do you want to set out tomorrow?”

“As early as possible,” he said. “I want to get to my buyer in town before the other hunters come in for the day. They arrive around noon, so I’d like to get there as early in the morning as I can.”

“That sounds good,” she said with a nod. “Are you hungry? There’s some pie if you want some.”

“Thank you, Snow,” he said with a slight grin. She went to the pie and cut out his slice and brought it to him. He took a bite of it. “This is very good.”

“Thank you,” she said with a slight blush. “I like to bake, as often as I can. Bread, pies…anything, really. It’s something that makes me happy.”

“I’m not used to getting such good food without having to pay for it from a baker or a tavern keeper,” he said before taking another bite.

“If you stay here, I promise I’ll keep cooking for you.”

“I’m here for the winter,” he said, looking up at her.

“I was thinking…after winter,” she said.

He lowered his fork slightly. “I hadn’t made any plans for after the winter, but I’ll consider it, if you’d like.”

“I would. You fit in here with us really well, and if you left I think I’d miss you. A lot.”

He slowly grinned at her. “You’d miss me?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

“I think, if I left, I would miss you too.”

She blushed slightly more. “That’s good to know.”

“I promise I will think about it very hard,” he said.

“Okay.” She left him alone then, more to let the blush fade from her cheeks. She never blushed! How had she let him get to her like this? She began to busy herself with making dinner for everyone, and it took her a moment to realize he was standing behind her. “Did you need something else?”

“I finished,” he said, holding up his plate and fork. “I just wanted to wash up.”

“Oh, thank you.” She moved away so he could do his dishes. They worked together in companionable silence for a few moments until he finished, and then he looked over at her. “I can put it away,” she told him with a smile.

“I heard you laughing earlier,” he said with a slight grin. “You have a nice laugh.”

“Thank you,” she said quietly. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard _you_ laugh, though.”

“Perhaps you can make me laugh,” he said, giving her a wider grin.

“I’d like to do that,” she said with a nod. “What do you find funny?”

“I’m not really sure,” he said. “Most of the times I’ve talked to people there hasn’t been much humor in the situation.”

“Then why don’t I tell you some of the stories Red was telling me?” she said. “Maybe you’ll find something to be funny.”

“All right.” They went back to the table and sat down, and while he smiled at some of the stories there was no laughter. Snow got so caught up in telling stories that it took them a few minutes to realize that the dinner was burning. “Snow…”

“Oh my goodness, dinner!” she said, standing up so fast the chair fell backwards. She removed the lid from the pot and saw smoke coming up from it. “It’s burned,” she said with a pout. He felt his mouth quirk up, and a chuckle escaped his lips. “This isn’t funny,” she said, but as he began to laugh louder she cracked a smile as well.

When the dwarves came home Graham and Snow were still smiling, dinner wasn’t ready and all they got in response to asked when it would be done were more giggles from Snow and a hearty chuckle from Graham. And while it didn’t mean much to them, Graham knew that it marked the beginning of a change in how he viewed his life from here on out.


End file.
